Team Melvin at last year’s Miles for Matheny.

Now is the time to start forming a fund-raising team for Miles for Matheny. Your team could include members of your school, church, book club or workplace—or it could just be family and friends. You can decide what Miles events you want to participate in and then create a team registration page. Set team fund-raising goals or generate a friendly competition among team members to see who can raise the most money.

To make your fund-raising efforts easier, you can create a team webpage at www.milesformatheny.org. Just upload photos of you and your teammates, set your fund-raising goals and send emails to your contacts, asking them to support you at Miles for Matheny.

The 18th annual Miles for Matheny will take place on Sunday, May 31, at Liberty Park in downtown Peapack. The signature activity is the Lu Huggins Wheelchair Walk in which more than 100 wheelchair participants travel around the downtown area, accompanied by walking partners. Preceding the Wheelchair Walk will be a new one-mile Fitness Walk that will end where the Wheelchair Walk begins. There are also five Cycling routes through the picturesque Somerset Hills as well as a Kids Fun Run. And you can start the day with The Friends of Matheny’s “Breakfast of Champions.”

Funds raised at Miles for Matheny will benefit programs and services that enhance the lives of the children and adults at Matheny and serve people with disabilities in the community. For more information, log onto www.milesformatheny.org or call 908.234.0011, ext. 260.

Kaila’s Krew, one of many teams formed by Matheny families.

A great way to raise money to support Miles for Matheny, our annual fundraiser and community event, is to start a team for your school, church, book club, running club or friends and family. It’s a fun way to spend the day together at the event and a great way to help get more donations. You can create a team registration page, train together, set team fundraising goals or even make it a “friendly” competition among your teammates to see who can raise the most money.

Team fundraising tips are offered online at www.milesformatheny.org. You can also call Patricia Cats at (908) 234-0011, ext. 260, or email her at pcats@matheny.org.

Miles for Matheny is being held Sunday, April 21, at Liberty Park in downtown Peapack, NJ. All proceeds from this event will benefit the Matheny Center of Medicine and Dentistry, which provides medical, dental and therapy care to Matheny inpatients and people with disabilities in the community. Activities include:  five Cycling Routes, a USATF-certified 5K Road Race, Kids Fun Run, the Lu Huggins Wheelchair Walk and The Friends of Matheny “Breakfast of Champions”, followed by luncheon refreshments in the park.

Major Miles sponsors are: Poses Family Foundation, title sponsor; Porzio Bromberg & Newman, P.C., attorneys at law; Peapack-Gladstone Bank; Partlow Insurance Agency; Affinity Federal Credit Union; and WCBS-TV and WCBS Newsradio 880.

Running team from RDA Fitness in Byram, NJ.

The Harter family, from left: Meghan, Doug, Jack, Katie and Caroline.

Jack’s Team, formed by the family of six-year-old Matheny day student Jack Harter, appears to be the top fundraiser for Miles for Matheny, with funds raised at the end of last week totaling $6,448.

When the Harters created a fundraising team last year, Jack’s father Doug said, “We are blessed with family and friends who want to do what they can to support Jack and us.”
Other top fundraisers, to date, are:

• Andy “Flash” Lash, family of adult patient Andy Lash, $4,253
• That’s How Scott Rolls, family of student Scott Gordon, $3,663
• Team Desatnick, family of student Bryan Desatnick, $3,481
• Team Porzio, law firm Porzio Bromberg & Newman, which also sponsored the kids fun run, $3,473
• TEAM Kids, members of the Ridge High School girls track team, $3,245
• Team Patrick, parents of student Patrick Conmy $2,770
• Cory Mazen, Bedwell School teacher, $1,855
• PAY IT FORWARD, team formed by Melanie Glick-Santiago, friend of Matheny parent Lisa Conturso, $1,625
• Christine Caratello of Roseland, NJ, $1,610.

All funds raised at Miles for Matheny help support the Matheny Center of Medicine and Dentistry, which provides medical, dental and therapy care to Matheny inpatients and to people with disabilities in the community.

Adult patient Andy Lash with his father and sister at Miles for Matheny 2009.

As we head down the home stretch before Sunday’s Miles for Matheny, the top fundraising team is Jack’s Team ($4,158) formed by the family of Matheny student Jack Harter, followed closely by That’s How Scott Rolls, the team created by the family of another Matheny student, Scott Gordon ($3,463). The remaining top 10 fundraisers are:

• Patrick’s Team (student Patrick Conmy) $2,700
• Desatnick Team  (student Bryan Desatnick) 2,625
• Andy “Flash” Lash (adult patient Andy Lash) 2,585
• TEAM Kids (Ridge High School girls track team) 2,415
• Cory Mazen (Bedwell School teacher) 1,760
• Team Schapiro (Basking Ridge family) 1,275
• Christine Corratello (Roseland resident) 1,260
• Pay it Forward (Friend of student Dina Conturso) 1,115

All funds raised at Miles for Matheny help support the Matheny Center of Medicine and Dentistry, which provides medical, dental and therapy care to Matheny inpatients and to people with disabilities in the community. Major Miles sponsors are:  The Poses Family Foundation; Affinity Federal Credit Union Foundation; Archer & Greiner, P.C.; BP Fueling Communities; WCBS-TV and WCBS Newsradio 880; Partlow Insurance Agency; Peapack-Gladstone Bank; and Porzio Bromberg & Newman, P.C.

Online registration closes at midnight on April 18, but on-site registration begins at 9 a.m. at Liberty Park in downtown Peapack.